Electric switch.



Patented Oct. 24 I899. L. W. DOWNES 81. W. T. SHERMAN.

ELECTRIC SWITCH. (Application filed 1.528, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet (No Model.)

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No. 635,373. Patented Got. 24, 1399. L. w. nowm-zsa w. "r. SHERMAN.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

(Application filed Jan. 28, 1899.) (N0 Modem 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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NITED STATES LOUIS W. DOWNES, OF PROVIDENCE, AND l/VILLIAM T. SHERMAN,OF EDEN PARK, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNORS TO THE D. & XV. FUSE COMPANY, OF

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 635,373, dated October24:, 1899.

Application filed JannaryZS, 1899. Serial No. 703,726. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, LOUIS W. DowNEs, a resident of the city ofProvidence, and WIL- LIAM 'l. SHERMAN, a resident of Eden Park, State ofRhode Island, have invented a new and useful Improvement in ElectricSwitches, which invention is fully set forth in the followingspecification.

Our invention relates to improvements in electric switches, andparticularly to such as enable the switch-blade to be moved with greatrapidityin the act of opening or closing a circuit. It is well knownthat if with a high-tension current the blade of the switch moves awayfrom the contact-jaws at only a moderate velocity the tendency is toform and maintain an are between the blade and contacts, the heat ofwhich, if allowed to continue for a small fraction of a second, has atendency to increase the volume of the flame or are by thevolatilization of the metalterminals, blistering or destroying thelatter. Various methods and apparatus have been devised for overcomingthis difficulty, among them quick-acting switches employingspringactuated blades and wherein the spring is set to a considerabletension before acting upon the blade.

With the object of improving upon switches of the type last mentionedabove by providing a construction that is superior to those heretoforeproposed in points of compactness, simplicity, cheapness of manufacture,durability, and effectiveness in operation we have devised the switchwhich is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a sideelevation of a single-pole switch, showing the same in the closedposition and part of the support removed. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectionalview on line 2: of Fig. 1 looking to the right. Fig. 3 is a top planview. Fig. 4 is a side elevation similar to Fig. 1, but showing thehandle moved over to ward the right, as in the act of opening theswitch. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view on line 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6shows detail views of the plate to which the pole or blade of the switchis attached. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the switch, showing the partsin the position which they occupy just after the pole or blade has beenraised to break the circuit. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary side elevationshowing the position assumed by the several parts when they finally cometo rest with the switch open. Fig. 9 shows detail views of theactuatingcam. Fig. 10 is an elevation, and Fig. 11 a sectional view, ofthe cup-casing for the actuating-spring, the spring being shown in thecasing in Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a top plan view of Fig. 10. Fig. 13 is atop plan view of a two-pole switch embodying my invention.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 11 of the drawings, A is a base, upon which aremounted two contacts A A, each consisting of two springjaws, betweenwhich switch pole or blade B is adapted to engage to complete thecircuit from one contact to the other.

C is a casting secured on base A by screws 0, Figs. 3 and 5, and havingtwo upwardlyextending arms 0' c. A shaft D is loosely mounted inbearings in the upper ends of arms 0. Frame Oalso has ears 0 c thereon,between which extends a pin cl, constituting the pivot of a detent orcatch 6, having a rectangularly-shaped tooth e on its upper surface, atone edge thereof, as shown in Figs. 1, i, and 5, and an incline 2 (Shownbest in Fig. 7.) f is an actuating-spring for the detent e, one end ofsaid spring engaging under the detent, the convolutions thereofsurrounding .pin d, and the other end being fixed in car 0 as clearlyshown in Fig. 3.

On shaft D, between the arms 0 c, are mounted, first, a plate F,carrying the switch pole or blade B; second, a cam-disk G; third,cup-shaped casing H, and, fourth, a handleplate I. All of these parts,with the single exception of plate F, are mounted loosely on shaft D,which passes through suitable opengo ings therein.

We will now describe the construction and functions of the several partsmore in detail.

Plate F, which is most clearly shown in Fig.

6, has a central opening f in which shaft D is fixed, and an extensionf, said extension having parallel flanges f f along opposite edgesthereof. Switch-blade B rests at one end against the flat face ofextension f, fitting closely between flanges f f and is secured in placeby rivetsf f On the upper edge of the plate F are two shoulders-one, 7;,in proximity to the extension f and the other formed by one edge of aprojecting tooth Ya. In the under edge of the plate are form ed tworectangularly-shaped notches ll, the latter being contiguous to tooth7;. These notches are adapted to be engaged by detent-tooth c topositively lock the plate, and hence shaft D and blade 13, in the openor closed positions of the latter, in a manner to be more fullyexplained hereinafter.

The cam-disk I, which is of the peculiar shape most clearly shown inFig. 9, has a central opening g, through which shaft D loosely passes,and has on its upper edge two shoulders g 9 facing each other.. Thecam-surface on the lower edge of plate G rises from opposite directionsto apex or point g In operation the cam-surface is adapted to actagainst the upper face of detent c, as clearly shown in Figs. 1,4, 5,and 7, to disengage detent-tooth c from notches Z Z in the edge of plateF.

Cupshaped casing H (see Figs. 9 and 10) has a central opening 7t,through which shaft I) loosely passes, and has two elongated lugs 71 7L2projecting from its peripheral surface. In this casing and about theshaft D is located a coiled spring m, secured at opposite ends inopenings in lug 7t and shaft D, respectively, as clearly shown in Figs.1 and 9.

Handle-plate I carries a handle I and is formed with an overhangingpart, on the under side of which is a tooth t, adapted by ongagementwith the shoulders, teeth, and lugs on the several parts to operate saidparts in a manner that will be best understood from the explanation ofthe operation given below.

The operation of the switch is as follows: The switch being closed, asshown in Fig. 1, the detent-tooth e by engagement with notch Z lockingit in that position, the operatorgrasps handle I and moves it to theright. In this movement the tooth ion the handle-plate first strikes lug7L2, (see Fig. 4,) rotating casing II. In its further movement tooth tstrikes shoulderg on cam-disk G,thereby rotating the cam. Thus as thehandle moves around to the right it not only winds up spring m, but alsomoves point g of the cam-disk around against the incline c on detent c,finally after the spring has reached a considerable tension disengagingtooth e from notch l. Plate F and shaft D, being thereby released, willbe rotated under the action of spring m, throwing the blade 13upwardly,bya sudden and very rapid movement, to the position shown inFig. 7, the teeth 7; striking the detent-tooth c, (detentc being nowreleased by cam-disk G,) and the latter dropping into notch Z to lockthe switch in its open position, as shown in Fig. 8. To close theswitch, the handle I is moved to the left, Fig. 7, the tooth i makingcontact with lug 7t and shoulder g in succession, rotating casing H andcam-disk G, thereby distending spring on to a considerable tension andmoving detent c to disengage its tooth c from notch Z. At this instant,plate F being released, the spring acts to lower the blade B to theposition shown in Fig. 1 withavery rapid movement. In the movement ofthe plate F the shoulder k and tooth 71;, by coming in contact with thetooth 1' while handle I is still in the grasp of the operator, act tobring the plate F and blade B to a stop without strain or shock to theother parts of the switch.

In Fig. 13 we have shown a switch having two poles B and B the pole Bbeing connected to a short shaft D connected to shaft D (correspondingto shaft D already referred to)by coupling D of any insulating material,preferably hard fiber. In other respects the construction and operationof the double-pole switch are the same as that of the single-pole switchalready described.

\Vhat we claim as our invention is 1. In an electrical switch, a shaftrotatably mounted in suitable bearings, a switch-blade movable with saidshaft, contacts for said switch-blade, an actuatin g-sprin g coiledabout and having one end secured to the shaft, an operating-leveradapted by movement in opposite directions to move the other end ofthespring and thereby place the same under tension for rotating the shaftto open and close the switch, a detent for locking the blade in its openor closed position, and means acting on the detent to automaticallyrelease the blade when the spring has been set to a predeterminedtension both in opening and closing the switch, substantially asdescribed.

2. In an electric switch a shaft rotatably mounted in suitable bearings,a switch-blade movable with said shaft, contacts for said switch-blade,a plate on the shaft having notches in the edge thereof, a detentengaging said notches to lock the switch-blade in its open or closedposition, an actuating-spring coiled about and having one end secured tothe shaft, a handle adapted by movement in opposite directions to movethe other end of the spring and thereby place the same under tension forrotating the shaft to open or close the switch, and a cam operated bysaid handle and acting on the detent to disengage it from the notches inthe plate after the spring has been set to a predetermined pressure, asset forth.

3. In an electric switch, the combination with a shaft rotatably mountedin suitable bearings, a switch-blade movable with said shaft, contactsfor the switch-blade, a notched plate fixed to the shaft, a detentengaging said notched plate to lock the blade in its open or closedposition, a spring one end of which is secured to the shaft, aninclosing casing for the spring to which its other end is secured, saidcasing being rotatable on the shaft, an operating-cam for the detentmounted loosely on the shaft, and an operating-handle movable on theshaft as a pivot and having thereon a tooth adapted to travel in thepath of projections on the spring-inclosing casing and cam, whereby onmovement of the handle the actuating-spring is first set to apredetermined tension and the detent then disengaged from the notchedplate, freeing the shaft so that it may be rotated by the spring,substantially as described.

4. In an electric switch the combination with a shaft rotatably mountedin suitable bearings, a switch-blade movable with said shaft, contactsfor the switch-blade, a notched plate fixed to the shaft, a detentengaging said notched plate to lock the blade in its open or closedposition, a spring one end of whichis secured to the shaft, an-inclosingcasing for the spring to which its other end is secured, said casingbeing rotatable on the shaft, an actuating-cam for the detent mountedloosely on the shaft, and an operating-handle movable on the shaft as apivot and having thereon a tooth adapted to move between two projectionson the spring-inclosing casing and two projections on the cam, wherebymovement of the handle in opposite directions for opening or closing theswitch, respectively, acts first to set the spring to a predeterminedtension and then to rotate the cam to disengage the detent from thenotched plate, freeing the shaft so that it may be rotated by thespring, substantially as described.

5. In an electric switch a rotatable shaft plate fixed on said shaft andcarrying a switch blade or pole, contacts for said pole, aspringactuated detent adapted to engage the notches in the notched plateto lock the switch-blade in its open or closed position, a cam-diskloosely mounted on the shaft and adapted to move said detent out ofengagement with the notched plate, an actuating-spring connected at oneend to the shaft, an inclosing casing for the spring to which its otherend is connected, said casing being mounted loosely on the shaft, anoperating-handle mounted to turn on the shaft and havinga toothoverhanging the edges of the cam-disk and spring-inclosing casing, andprojections on said disk and easing with which the tooth is adapted toengage to rotate said parts when the handle is moved in a directioneither to open or close the switch, whereby the spring isfirst wound toa predetermined pressure and the detent then removed to release thenotched plate and blade, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

